Khaleda’s health condition stable, says BSMMU

Confusion has arisen over the health of BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia as the hospital authorities claim she is stable while her party and relatives say her life is at stake as her health deteriorated.

The authorities of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University yesterday said Khaleda, aged about 75, was “stable” and her health showed “significant improvement to some extent”.

They also claimed the former prime minister, now serving a jail term in a corruption case, was satisfied with her treatment and her health didn’t deteriorate at all.

Asked about some BNP leaders’ apprehension that her life was at stake, Prof Zilan Miah Sarker, chief of the medical board giving treatment to Khaleda, yesterday said, “Our apprehension is not like that. But life and death are in the hand of Allah. We visit her regularly and we show respect.”

Speaking at a press briefing at the BSMMU, Zilan said they were satisfied with Khaleda’s treatment and she herself was also satisfied.

Soon after the BSMMU statement, BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi said Khaleda’s health was “deteriorating fast” and the government was making “false statements” over her health.

“If any harm is caused to her [Khaleda Zia], Sheikh Hasina and her government will have to take all the responsibilities,” he said at a press briefing at the party’s Nayapaltan headquarters.

On Friday, some of Khaleda’s relatives, including her elder sister Selima Islam, visited her at the BSMMU. Selima later alleged that Khaleda’s health has “deteriorated alarmingly” and she needs better treatment abroad urgently.

On Sunday, BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir expressed grave concern over the party chief’s health. He said there was a possibility that “she might not recover”.

The BSMMU authorities yesterday alleged that the former PM often didn’t cooperate with the doctors since being admitted to the hospital in April.

BSMMU Director Brig Gen AK Mahbubul Hoque claimed physicians often could not visit Khaleda.

“Our office timing is 8:00am to 2:30pm. Our doctors often couldn’t see her. We need to take permission from her. She usually grants us permission at 1:30pm or later. On many occasions, our doctors could not visit her even after waiting until 4:30pm,” he added.

Medical board chief Zilan Miah said, “She [Khaleda Zia] does not start preparations before noon. This can happen in case of a patient. The clock strikes 1:00pm or 1:30pm before we start examining her. Whenever we visit her, her two favourite doctors also accompany us. She becomes happy.”

About sending Khaleda abroad, he said, “Everybody wants to go abroad for treatment. We don’t think that we have failed to treat her. Even madam [Khaleda Zia] didn’t demand that she should be sent abroad.”

The BSMMU director said Khaleda was receiving “good treatment” at their hospital and she was taking medicines as prescribed by the five-member medical board, formed by the government for her treatment.

He said Khaleda’s blood pressure and temperature were measured every day and her blood sugar level was measured twice a day.

Prof Dr Shahana Akhter Rahman, pro-vice chancellor of BSMMU, said the former PM has been suffering from rheumatic fever for 28 years and modern treatment for the disease is possible in Bangladesh.

She said the medical board suggested administering a vaccine to Khaleda for treatment of rheumatic fever, but she was yet to give permission.

“Doctors cannot expect an improvement if she doesn’t give permission. But I hope Khaleda Zia will agree to be vaccinated like she did in the case of taking insulin.”

Asked how long the BNP chief would have to stay at the hospital, the medical board said she has to stay there if she agrees to be vaccinated.

The BSMMU authorities also said Khaleda’s stay in the hospital or return to jail was completely a legal issue.

Meanwhile, Rizvi yesterday said the statements of the hospital director and the chief of the medical board were contradictory.

He said the statement of the BSMMU director was “unacceptable, discourteous, misleading and offensive”.Khaleda has been behind bars since February 8 last year in the Zia Orphanage Trust corruption case.